Georgia Woman Charged With Faking Multiple Pregnancies & A Birth To Get Time Off Work
She even wore a fake pregnancy belly.
Twitter / YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock A Georgia state official is facing criminal charges after being accused of faking multiple pregnancies and using at least one of them to get out of work with paid time off.
A Fulton grand jury indicted Robin Folsom, 43, a former director of external affairs for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, on three felony counts of making false statements. Folsom was also charged with one count of identity fraud.
Robin Folsom allegedly lied to her employer about being pregnant and faked giving birth.
A news release made by the Georgia Office of the Inspector General (OIG) stated that, in October 2020, Folsom notified the agency's human resources department that she was pregnant and later announced the baby was born in May 2021.
An email claiming to be from the baby's father was received by the department, stating that Folsom needed to rest for several weeks following the birth. She was then granted seven weeks of paid time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
However, it didn't take long for the lie to begin unraveling.
One of Folsom's co-workers reported seeing, what is now presumed to be a fake pregnancy bump, appear to be detached from Folsom. Other coworkers also noticed inconsistencies in her story after the child's alleged birth.
"OIG's investigation revealed that in March 2021, a co-worker observed the lower portion of Folsom's stomach 'come away' from her body and believed Folsom wore a fake pregnant stomach. In addition, Folsom allegedly sent pictures of her new baby to various GVRA employees, however, the pictures appeared to be inconsistent and depicted children with varying skin tones," the news release stated.
"All state employees, and especially those that communicate with the media and general public on behalf of their agency, should be held to the highest standards of integrity and honesty. OIG will continue to hold state employees accountable if they choose to deceive their superiors and receive undeserved compensation."
A review of medical and insurance records found no sign that Folsom delivered a real child, and after being interviewed by investigators, Folsom resigned from her position in October.
"Folsom had previously reported the birth of a child in July 2020, and claimed she was again pregnant in August 2021. OIG learned that the State Office of Vital Records did not possess any birth certificate listing Folsom as a mother, and a review of medical and insurance records found no indication that Folsom had ever delivered a child."
In a statement, Attorney General Chris Carr said, "Fraud by state employees will not be tolerated. By working with Georgia’s independent Inspector General, we were able to discover, investigate and put an end to this alleged deception. We will always stand up to protect taxpayer dollars, and we look forward to presenting our case in court.”
If convicted, Folsom could face up to 10 years in prison for identity fraud and up to five years in prison for each charge of making false statements.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.